Solution for wheel vibration

carogers86 · 06-23-2011, 01:37 AM

Synopsis: bought car with what I thought was a wheel balancing issue, turned out to be 4 bent wheels. Had a wheel repair shop inspect wheels. Said all 4 our bent, but the driver's side rear wheel is barely (and shouldn't be noticeable) bent. Prior to having 3 wheels "fixed" car would vibrate like an expensive massage chair 70mph . After having one wheel fixed, car was about 30% better (this wheel was most out of true). Cost: $185. Made another appointment to have other two wheels straightened. Car is about 70% better.

Drove on freshly paved I-80 to SF and that 30% was annoying the crap outta me. At 85mph it almost felt as bad as when all 4 wheels where bent.

My question is: do you think I should bring it back to have the last wheel straightened even though the guy said it is a very minor bend in the last wheel? If it's so "minor" shouldn't it be smooth sailing on the freeway? Is this guy wrong about how "minor" the bend is? If his expertise is correct, what else could be causing this type of vibration? Under 70mph the car is as smooth as the 2011 loaners I drive.

Comments?

asus389 · 06-23-2011, 03:48 AM

Might be worth having someone who knows what they are doing looking at the suspension/alignment as well. If you really have 4 bent wheels, its likely the suspension is a bit out of whack as well.

driverman · 06-23-2011, 07:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asus389

Might be worth having someone who knows what they are doing looking at the suspension/alignment as well.

Vibrations can be tricky to diagnose. I've had vibrations caused by bad wheel balance, bad wheels, bad tires and bad alignment. My latest problem was a set of PS2's that started vibrating at 70 mph. I tried balancing them twice and an expensive wheel alignment from BMW. When I got rid of the tires, the problem went away.

The key is finding someone that has lots of experience troubleshooting problems like this.

VMRWheels · 06-23-2011, 01:13 PM

With a slightly bent wheel, the faster you go, the harsher the vibrations will get. You could possibly try to road force it out, but it will most likely not help your situation.

I would recommend getting it repaired or buy a new wheel and keep the slightly bent wheel as a spare.

-Charles@VMRWheels

MCOChuck · 06-24-2011, 02:19 PM

It may have been driven that way for so long the tires are worn unevenly. I had a similar problem years ago with a set of used rims and tires I got on ebay. Ended up having to get the rims straightened AND new tires to solve the vibration problem.

06-23-2011, 01:37 AM	#1
carogers86 Private First Class 76 Rep 155 Posts Drives: BMW 335i Coupe Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: San Francisco iTrader: (0)	Solution for wheel vibration Synopsis: bought car with what I thought was a wheel balancing issue, turned out to be 4 bent wheels. Had a wheel repair shop inspect wheels. Said all 4 our bent, but the driver's side rear wheel is barely (and shouldn't be noticeable) bent. Prior to having 3 wheels "fixed" car would vibrate like an expensive massage chair 70mph . After having one wheel fixed, car was about 30% better (this wheel was most out of true). Cost: $185. Made another appointment to have other two wheels straightened. Car is about 70% better. Drove on freshly paved I-80 to SF and that 30% was annoying the crap outta me. At 85mph it almost felt as bad as when all 4 wheels where bent. My question is: do you think I should bring it back to have the last wheel straightened even though the guy said it is a very minor bend in the last wheel? If it's so "minor" shouldn't it be smooth sailing on the freeway? Is this guy wrong about how "minor" the bend is? If his expertise is correct, what else could be causing this type of vibration? Under 70mph the car is as smooth as the 2011 loaners I drive. Comments?
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06-23-2011, 03:48 AM	#2
asus389 Captain 74 Rep 639 Posts Drives: 11 E90 328i Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Michigan iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW 328i [0.00]	Might be worth having someone who knows what they are doing looking at the suspension/alignment as well. If you really have 4 bent wheels, its likely the suspension is a bit out of whack as well.
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06-23-2011, 01:13 PM	#4
VMRWheels BimmerPost Supporting Vendor 2130 Rep 25,972 Posts Drives: BMW Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Anaheim, CA iTrader: (4) Garage List 2013 BMW M3 [10.00] 2015 BMW M4 [0.00] 2013 BMW F30 [0.00] 2014 BMW F22 [0.00] 2013 BMW F06 [0.00]	With a slightly bent wheel, the faster you go, the harsher the vibrations will get. You could possibly try to road force it out, but it will most likely not help your situation. I would recommend getting it repaired or buy a new wheel and keep the slightly bent wheel as a spare. -Charles@VMRWheels __________________ VMR\|Wheels \| 714.442.7916 \| sales@velocitymotoring.com \| www.velocitymotoring.com \| facebook \| flickr \| Instagram
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06-24-2011, 02:19 PM	#5
MCOChuck Second Lieutenant 9 Rep 228 Posts Drives: 2012 E92 328i xDrive M-Sport Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Ottawa, Canada iTrader: (0) Garage List 2012 E92 328i xDriv ... [0.00]	It may have been driven that way for so long the tires are worn unevenly. I had a similar problem years ago with a set of used rims and tires I got on ebay. Ended up having to get the rims straightened AND new tires to solve the vibration problem.
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